It’s hard to believe that it’s May already and the conference season is about to begin in North America, with ACORD LOMA in Las Vegas next week and IASA in Washington next month. These events have always been great places to gain knowledge about insurance technologies in a short space of time while trying to work out where the industry may be heading. So what’s our view? We believe that the tipping point around core systems replacement may have been reached. Many insurers now know the direction that they will take (even if they have not yet taken steps to implement it). The strategic questions now being asked are: “How do I get the most value out of my investment?” and, more interestingly, “What comes next?” I’m excited to announce that our North and Latin American team will be at ACORD LOMA in force to help you answer these questions and to contribute to the debate through sessions on “How Commercial Insurers Can Benefit from Innovations in Personal Insurance,” “Social Media in Business: Friend, Foe, or Who Cares?” and “Emerging Technologies to Die For: A View on Levels of Adoption and Future Opportunities for Life and Annuities.” We believe this is a great time to explore innovative uses of technology to enable new business models while being careful not to “govern out” innovation from existing investments. So if you’re planning on going to Vegas, please don’t hesitate to come and find us (we’re located at booth #252). We look forward to seeing you there. If you’re not able to attend, then please do pick up the phone to speak to us on these topics; they’re a great discussion to have.